Transport safety: transportable pressure equipment

OBJECTIVE: the proposal for a directive seeks to enhance safety with regard to transportable pressure equipment approved for the inland transport of dangerous goods and to ensure the free movement, including the aspects of placing on the market, repeated putting into service and use of such equipment within the Community. SUBSTANCE: Although Directives 94/55/EC and 96/49/EC allowed great progress to be made in harmonizing technical provisions for the safe transport of transportable pressure equipment, particularly with regard to construction and use, certain measures remain to be taken as regard the freedom to provide transport services involving this type of equipment including their use and refilling. To this end the proposal provides for a guarantee of transport safety by introducing new procedures for periodic inspection of all existing transportable pressure equipment and conformity assessment procedures following the modular approach for all equipment manufactured pursuant to Directives 84/525/EEC, 84/526/EEC and 84/527/EEC. The freedom to provide transport services will be fully attained if, as a result of the harmonization provided, new transportable pressure equipment and equipment which complies with Directives 94/55/EC and 96/49/EC including cylinders manufactured in conformity with Directives 84/525/EEC, 84/526/EEC and 84/527/EEC used in the context of a transport operation are recognized in other Member States. For the purpose of placing on the market of new equipment, the proposal provides for the recognition of approvals issued by the testing bodies (testing bodies designated by the Member States) whether independent or in-house, and by affixing a recognized mark for approved equipment; approval and marking in one Member State will be sufficient to place the equipment on the market or use it in any part of the Community. It should be noted that the testing bodies must meet the common quality criteria to be designated by the national governments. Lastly, a safeguard clause is provided for when a Member State finds that equipment is liable to cause damage to health or endanger safety. �